US men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has selected the final 23-player roster for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. With a mix of veterans and promising young talent, the United States will pursue its seventh confederation championship title. The 16-team tournament marks the first official competition for the MNT in the 2022 World Cup cycle.
“As always, there were some difficult decisions to be made for this roster and I’m extremely pleased with how the players have shown so far this year overall,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We’ve had a chance to look at the player pool for the last six months and we feel great about the group that will take on the task of trying to win the Gold Cup. This is only the start of the journey. Our ambition is to progress as a team throughout the tournament and put ourselves in a position to be playing July 7 in Chicago.”
The team heads to Cincinnati for a tournament tune-up against Venezuela on June 9 at Nippert Stadium. Kickoff for the USA’s first visit to the Queen City is set for 12 PM MT, and the match will be broadcast live on FOX, UniMas and UDN. Fans can also follow along via US Soccer’s official Facebook, Twitter (@USMNT) and Instagram (@USMNT) accounts.
Per tournament rules, the final roster was submitted prior to midnight on June 5. A player may be replaced on the roster up to 24 hours prior a team’s first match of the group phase in the case of injury. The replacement player must come from the 40-man preliminary roster.
USMNT GOLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3):
12-Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 7/0), 22-Tyler Miller (LAFC; 0/0), 1-Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC; 9/0)
DEFENDERS (8):
14-Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 10/1), 3-Omar Gonzalez (Toronto FC/CAN; 50/3), 2-Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 3/0), 23-Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 5/0), 16-Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 4/0), 19-Matt Miazga (Chelsea/ENG; 13/1), 13-
Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 29/1), 5-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 6/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6):
4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 145/17), 20-Duane Holmes (Derby County/ENG; 1/0), 8-Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 8/1), 10-Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 25/10), 15-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 10/0), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 16/0)
FORWARDS (6):
17-Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 110/41), 7-Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 22/3), 21-Tyler Boyd (Vitória Guimãres/POR; 0/0), 18-
Jonathan Lewis
(Colorado Rapids; 4/0), 11-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 27/5), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 44/7)
THIRTEEN IS A LUCKY NUMBER
There are 13 players who are making their Gold Cup debut, and 12 with their first shot in an official competition at the senior team level. Christian Pulisic – who played in the 2016 Copa America Centenario – is also a Gold Cup debutant. Five players on the roster – Adams, Boyd, Pulisic, Steffen and Trapp – have participated in a Youth World Cup.
WITH EXPERIENCE AT THE CORE …
A total of 10 players enter with Gold Cup experience, including nine who have earned a winners medal. Michael Bradley heads the experience list, playing in his fifth confederation championship. Jozy Altidore and Omar Gonzalez get their fourth nods, while three other players get their third.
GOLD CUP HISTORY
Beginning with the inaugural tournament in 1991, the US Men’s National Team has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup on six occasions, coming away with the confederation title again in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2017. In 13 previous editions, the USA is 56-8-9 all-time, advancing to the Final a total of 10 times and the Semifinals on 13 occasions.
GROUP D SCHEDULE
The MNT will begin its quest for a record-tying seventh confederation title when they face Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Panama in Group D of the 15th edition of the Gold Cup. The USA kicks off the tournament with its first trip to Minnesota and first meeting against Guyana on Tuesday, June 18 at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a venue that has already set the fastest record for a sell-out in tournament history.
Following that match, the US moves east to face Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday, June 22 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland before closing group play against Panama on Wednesday, June 26 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
ROSTER NOTES
- Nine of the 10 players with previous Gold Cup experience were part of the 2017 championship squad: Bradley (4 tournaments), Altidore (3), Gonzalez, Johnson, Zardes (2 each); Arriola, Miazga, Morris and Roldan (1 each)
- Tim Ream has also taken part in two previous Gold Cups (2011, 2015).
- Thirteen players will take part in their first CONCACAF Gold Cup: Adams, Boyd, Holmes, Lewis, Miller, Lima, Long, Lovitz, McKennie, Pulisic, Steffen, Trapp and Zimmerman.
- Pulisic is the only Gold Cup debutant to take part in a previous international tournament with the USMNT, playing in the 2016 Copa America Centenario.
- Five players combined for 14 goals scored in prior Gold Cups: Altidore (4), Bradley, Gonzalez and Morris (3 each), and Zardes (1).
- As of the USA’s tournament opener on June 18, the roster will hold an average age of 25 years, 150 days to go along with an average of 24 caps.
- With 145 caps, Michael Bradley is the senior-most player on the roster, followed by Jozy Altidore (110), Omar Gonzalez (50), Gyasi Zardes (44) and Tim Ream (29).
- On the flip side, 13 players have 10 or less caps.
- Two players on the roster are uncapped: winger Tyler Boyd and goalkeeper Tyler Miller.
- The roster features 16 players tied to 10 different MLS clubs.
- Seven players are tied to clubs in England (4), Germany (2) and Portugal (1)
- After finishing second in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, Pulisic moves to newly crowned Europa League champions Chelsea following the Gold Cup
- Meantime, Adams earned a regular starting role with third-place finishers Red Bull Leipzig after joining the club in the January transfer window
- Zack Steffen officially said goodbye to Columbus Crew SC, having been signed by Premier League champion Manchester City this past winter and remaining with the Crew until the summer.
- The Budweiser Man of the Match against Jamaica, veteran defender Omar Gonzalez has won championships at every level since college and is the only U.S. player to have won the MLS Cup, Liga MX and CONCACAF Champions League. Gonzalez’s three international goals have all come at the Gold Cup.
- Jordan Morris returns to the Gold Cup for the second straight tournament, having scored the game-winning goal in the 2017 final against Jamaica.
- The 2018 MLS Defender of the Year, Aaron Long gets his first crack at official competition.
- Daniel Lovitz becomes the first Montreal Impact player to represent the United States in the Gold Cup
- After making his international debut against Jamaica, Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes is representing the United States for the first time at any level. The 24-year-old is a dual citizen, the son of an American serviceman and an English mother
- Tyler Boyd recently received approval from FIFA for a one-time change of association, the winger having represented New Zealand in official competition at the youth international level. Boyd tallied six goals in 14 appearances while on loan to Turkish side Ankaragucu.
